Editor’s note: This op-ed is by Deb Markowitz, the Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources.
In our house my husband is the “recycling police.” When he finds a wayward plastic container or piece of cardboard in the garbage he holds it up accusatorially, looking for one of us to confess to throwing it out. And, of course, he is right; when we throw out something that can be reused or recycled we are wasting precious natural resources and are adding to growing piles of waste that are filling our landfills.
Even in Vermont, where we take such pride in environmental stewardship, we are throwing out more garbage than ever. Vermonters generate more than 600,000 tons of garbage every year, or about two tons for every Vermont household. We have to rethink our approach to waste!
At the Agency of Natural Resources we are thinking differently about solid waste these days. Instead of focusing on waste management we are focusing on resource management. This means we are looking at ways to best use our limited natural resources and conserve energy by finding continued value in the things we would otherwise throw away, and by preventing and minimizing waste, rather than just managing it once it exists.
Natural resources are finite, and extracting them has financial, social and environmental costs. When we discard and landfill our trash not only do we squander these materials, but we also add to the factors that cause climatic changes and energy consumption. In contrast, creating new uses for items we would otherwise throw away produces real economic and environmental value. It is also important to note that waste disposal is expensive, and the two existing Vermont landfills have limited space.
A few weeks ago the Vermont House took an important step. In a show of bipartisan support, the House unanimously passed a mandatory recycling bill. Today, we are recycling 36 percent of the waste stream, but half of the other 64 percent is recyclable, and yet ends up in our landfills. The House bill would ban from our landfills all recyclable materials by July 2015. In addition, yard waste, like grass clippings, and waste wood would be prohibited by July 2016, and all organic materials would be banned from our landfills by July 2020. We look forward to working with the Senate to get this bill to the governor’s desk for signature.
In the coming year ANR will complete a new solid waste plan, outlining strategies for making recycling services more convenient and cost effective, and to facilitate and encourage composting. We will also be looking for ways to prevent waste in the first place. It only makes sense: if waste is not generated, then it does not need to be transported, reused, recycled, processed, or disposed of. We will also be asking Vermonters to get involved.
Remember, the little things each of us do can help make a big difference. Choose items that are durable and have less packaging. Don’t throw things out — used items are often welcomed at church bazaars and charity resale shops. Start composting your food and yard waste. Help us meet this “resource management” challenge by becoming the “recycling police” in your home and office.
Together, we can protect and preserve our natural resources for this and for future generations.
Thank you for your interest. Feel free to contact us at 802-241-3600 or by email at penny.percival@state.vt.us with your comments or suggestions.
